The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the Chhattisgarh Government on Thursday to make available doctors for proper check of health of inmates in State jails. Chairman of the NHRC Justice KG Balakrishnan told this to Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar while hearing the cases of alleged human rights violations at New Circuit House here in Civil Lines area.

Notably, three-member team of NHRC comprising chairman of the commission Justice KG Balakrishnan, member Justice BC Patel and another member Satyawrat Pal heard 26 cases related to human rights violations out of which 19 cases were heard by the full bench while seven cases were tackled by double bench of the commission.

Cases heard by the NHRC team included those of deaths occurred due to police encounter in South Bastar, rape of three women of Dornapal, Bastar, torture and continued incarceration of Soni Sori arrested on the charges of having naxal links, lathi-charge on the activists of National Students Union of India in capital, brutal killing of an 16-year old innocent minor tribal girl Meena Khalkho by police on the charges of naxal link and the cases related to Anganwadi and Self Help Groups.

State officials led by Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar also put their side before the Commission members. During the hearing of cases when the Commission was informed that in Dantewada jail just a part time doctor was rendering services to check the health of inmates prompting Justice Balakrishnan himself to ask Sunil Kumar to make available full time doctors in jails for proper health-check of inmates.

On Friday, the Commission members will hold a meeting with NGOs active in the field of human rights between 10 to 11 in the morning and thereafter a meeting will be organised with Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, district collectors, superintendents of police as well as Jail superintendents with the Commission officials in which strategy of state government to control insurgency, alleged torture of tribal people by cops/security forces as well as Salwa Judum workers, rehabilitation of people affected by Naxal violence as well as police excesses, reformation of Jail Inmates, Public Distribution System operational in the state, problem of bonded labourers, implementation of the recommendations of K B Saxena Committee, gender test of foetus in nursing homes, Leprosy eradication and issue of police stations alleged refusal to file reports will be discussed.